VZCZCXYZ0011
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBU #1192 3071709
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031709Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4564
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL//SCJ2//
RULGPUA/USCOMSOLANT
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001192
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC,
WHA/EPSC
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WEEK OF OCTOBER 26-30; 11/03/09; BUENOS
AIRES
1. SUMMARY STATEMENT
Leading international stories last week were mostly related to: the
Honduran deal whereby ousted President Manuel Zelaya could be
restored to power; the UN General Assembly condemnation of the US
embargo on Cuba, which was hailed by Argentine authorities, and
Venezuelan Hugo Chavez' armed civilian militias.
2. HONDURAS
Regarding the Honduran deal on Zelaya's return, most dailies
positively view the USG intervention crisis as the only way out of
the crisis. Ana Baron, from leading "Clarin," writes (10/31), "...
What definitely favored a deal between coup monger Roberto
Micheletti and ousted president Zelaya was that the US finally
intervened in a unilateral way. No delegation of presidents and
Foreign Ministers of the region got the two leaders to reach a deal,
not even a feeble one. Not even Brazil, in spite of its clout, was
able to convince them of the need to sign the San Jose agreements
obtained through the mediation of Costa Rica President Oscar Arias."
On the same subject, Csar Gonzlez-Calero, writes an opinion piece
for "La Nacion" (10/31) highlighting that, "if Zelaya is finally
reinstated into power Washington will have scored a goal, but it
will be a diplomatic triumph loaded with questions and suspicion.
One should wonder why Obama has taken four months in sending three
top 'firemen' to extinguish a fire that threatened to go beyond the
Honduran borders and seriously damage its image in Latin America.
The White House ambiguity can only be explained by the threat
implied by Hugo Chavez' interference in the Central American
country, where the Pentagon has one of its strategic military bases
in the region (Palmerola)." Business-financial "Ambito Financiero"
(11/02) carries an opinion piece by contributor Andres Cisneros, who
underscores that, "The Honduran case appears as a temporary tie in
which the institutional scheme is maintained as well as the system
of traditional political parties. However, the populist challenge
will remain in Zelaya's figure, who will likely break with his parry
to establish a third option that will alter ancestral bipartisan
system."
3. CUBA
On the UN condemnation of the embargo against Cuba, left-of-center
"Pagina 12"(10/28) headlines an opinion piece on the subject, "A
sick obsession," in which it accuses the US of not wanting to lift
the embargo. Atilio A. Boron, the author, points out that, in spite
of the announced promises to start a "new policy" on Cuba and Latin
America, the US has only made the embargo a bit lighter, but the
bottom line is that it does not want to lift it. Catriel Etcheverri,
international analyst of business-financial "Buenos Aires
Economico," (10/29) opines that, "it remains to be seen whether
Obama will implement a genuine multilateralism or just a convenient
multilateralism that suits him well." Marcelo Cantelmi,
international editor of leading "Clarin," writes (10/31), "The US
President needs some gestures from Havana in order to lift the
blockade, but, most important of all, he needs to win the
arm-wrestling with the conservative opposition in Washington."
4. CHAVEZ
On Chavez' armed civilian militias, leading "Clarin" carries an
editorial saying that Venezuelan Chavez' decision to organize armed
civilian militias, which is based on his need to reinforce the
authoritarian features of his regime, "is a negative sign for
neighboring countries and Latin American democracies."
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our
classified website at:
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires
MARTINEZ